Natane King, daughter of former Sixers GM Billy King, is charting her own path in field hockey

Natane King didn’t know much about field hockey in sixth grade. Her only knowledge of the sport was limited to Episcopal Academy, a powerhouse varsity team then coached by former Olympian Gina Buggy.

King needed to fulfill a sports requirement at school. She had little interest in soccer and cross-country, so field hockey seemed like a fit. Episcopal was ranked No. 1 in the nation by Max Field Hockey and all of her friends were playing. Of course, learning a brand-new sport came with its own bumps and bruises.

“She tried field hockey as a field player,” said her mother, Melanie King. “She had never picked up a stick before. It was hard for her.”

Now, Natane, daughter of former 76ers general manager Billy King, is a sophomore at the Hill School, where she transferred after the departure of former Episcopal coach Stefanie Fee this past season. She has flourished in field hockey as a goalkeeper, winning a national club championship and being named one of the top 100 prospects in the 2025 class.

Her success came from commitment, which meant letting go of other interests along the way.

One day at practice, middle school coach Roberta Howlin asked if anybody wanted to play goalkeeper. She needed a keeper for the sixth- and seventh-grade teams, so King raised her hand. She saw it as an opportunity for more playing time. Most of the girls were at a higher level and had competed since elementary school.

“I didn’t want to force anyone to do it,” King said. “It looked fun, so I was like, ‘All right, I’ll try it.’ I put the gear on, and I just loved it. People always ask me, ‘Are you scared of the ball or anything?’ Obviously, there are some shots that are so fast and hard that you do get a bit nervous, but I really loved it.”

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King then joined PowerHouse, a year-round club team, where she had goalie sessions with coaches who played at the Division I level and on the USA team. At the time, she also played lacrosse, which she started before joining Episcopal.

She knew she eventually would have to choose between the two sports if she wanted to take one more seriously.

“I love both,” King said. “My coaches always told me, ‘You don’t have to make a decision right now’ because I still can manage both schedules, but toward eighth grade, my field hockey schedule increased, and I started to lose my passion for lacrosse. I just figured it was time.”

With her focus solely on goalkeeping as a freshman at Episcopal, King started to pick up tips from the older players like Ashley Sessa, a North Carolina recruit and national team member. At the end of the fall season, King switched club teams to WC Eagles, led by coach Jun Kentwell, who played on the Chinese national team for eight years.

“There’s a switch, which was a big step up,” King said. “WC has a reputation of being one of the top clubs in the country, and there’s a reputation with coaches, so going there, I kind of realize this is what the top level play looks like in the country.”

King matched that realization with an increased work ethic. Spending 10 hours each week at the facility, she practiced her reaction time and sharpened her form with a machine that tested her ability to block. Then King was tested in situations that forced her to read the offense without any defenders present to come to her aid.

This summer has been big on competition for King. She played in the U16 NEXUS Championship in June and the National Club Championship this month, facing off against some of the top players in the country.

“At the NEXUS Championship, there were probably 60 or 70 top DI, II, and III colleges,” Billy King said. “She played incredibly under that level of pressure. There were just so many colleges there, and it was a very intense game with the top athletes from around the country. I was proud of her.”

Competing in NEXUS, a USA field hockey tournament that showcases the nation’s best female players, gave King an opportunity to try out for the USA Junior National team and receive exposure to college coaches.

King wants to play in college. Following her sophomore year, she hopes to hear from the likes of Dartmouth and Columbia, which are high on her list.

But she isn’t getting too far ahead of herself. Billy King, who played basketball at Duke, reminds his daughter that an athlete is only as good as his or her last game. Natane holds herself to that as she builds up accolades and recognition in the field hockey world.

“The recognition is great, but I try not to listen,” she said. “I try to stay true to my own game. … I tried to just focus on the game and field hockey because that’s how I’m performing my best.”